Rebel Rouser Double IPA - Sam Adams

At 8.4% and 85 IBUs, it doesn't sound like they are "dumbing down" the style for the masses. I'll be happy to try...especially considering it will likely be cheaper and more available than most of the popular DIPAs. I love many of the new NZ hops coming out on the homebrew scene, so I'm curious how this will end up. Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot convinced me a large-ish micro could make a solid cheap "big" beer.

 

Ale Street news mentioned early Feb for release.

 

Oh certainly it comes up every year. And i totally get the idea, still doesnt mean spring is coming sooner haha

 

He's a guy who has been brewing for a really long time, so to him they're probably not that interesting and he probably can't learn all that much from them.

And to be honest with most double IPAs these days you do know what you're going to get. Fruit, pine, and bitterness.

It's like cooking. What's harder to do, make a really complex dish full of subtle flavors and having no flavor overpower another, or making a spicy pepper bomb?

I don't know, I think people have to get off his back about these quotes. As for him being a 'hypocrite', he employs other brewers at his place ya know? I'm sure some of the younger brewers pushed for these beers to be made. Jim was probably more than happy enough to make KMF Grand Cru.

 

Get ready for another overly sweet and under-hopped IPA from Sam.

 

All the Rebel hate is kind of killing me. I was happy Sam made an IPA that I actually thought was OK (not a fan of Latitude 48), and is likely going to be a beer I can get at all the places that don't have much of a beer selection (e.g., CPK, maybe TGI Fridays, whatever). I expect the same out of the imperial version (albeit worse distribution). There is a place for such a thing, and wishing your favorite not-great-distribution brewer would get into taps like that is an exercise in futility.

 

I remember that. Yeah, he was against it before he was for it.

 

Wow. So many stupid things Koch said in that excerpt it's making my head spin. What exactly is he expecting to learn from drinking IPAs? That the VAST MAJORITY are superior to SA? Methinks they could learn plenty about brewing great beer. As opposed to appealing to the lowest common denominator, which is clearly their target audience. Hey, whatever works.

 

So here is the thing, I had Samuel Adams Rebel IPA before and it was so soap like I drain poured it. Now one would assume that it was either skunked or a bad batch which can happen. But you never know. Since then, I have not given the Rebel IPA a shot again. But I have been hesitant. And I would also like to try the Rebel Rouser. Does anyone have any insight for me?

 

I would cede the point that I do not know his intent behind the words, and there is always a chance they are being taken out of context...but I would argue that a beer like Heady Topper is not unrefined. I've had many many DIPAs in my day and that one took plenty of skill to create such a balanced DIPA. Maybe its the overgeneralization in his quote that irks me the most. Then to compare them to BMC? Is that a below the belt jab, or does Jim really think they are solid beers? I just sense a bitter man (pun intended) chasing the almighty dollar (evidenced in his creation of an 80+ IBU DIPA brew after previously discounting them)...But like I said, I do not know the man, only his commercials and quotes, and I could be way off on this one.

 

And like I said before, he's not the only guy who works at his brewery. I'm sure the younger brewers at Sam Adams pushed for these beers to be made. Just because he's the boss doesn't mean he's not going to listen to his employees.

And he has said that they're good, hell he said so right in his quote. But to a guy who has been brewing for years on end.......what is there to learn from dumping 100 IBUs worth of hops onto a simple as heck malt base?

And the BMC quip was a jab at the uniformity of the double IPA market. There's probably four or five DIPAs that serve as the basis for all others. It's not really hard to understand, but I guess someone says something that appears to be a slight against the almighty hop bombs and everyone gets in a tizzy.

 

I'd venture sales folk & grocery store data pushed for these beers to be made; but there are probably some happy brewers! Interested to give'em a try myself!

 

Unlike regular rebel im willing to give this a shot. If SA starts making more imperial strength beers theyll have more of my money

 

You have six that are out right now that you can buy:

13th Hour
Tetravis
New World Tripel
Stony Brook Red
Double Bock
Merry Maker

All 9% or higher, and the first four are from the Barrel Room Collection and are all really good and interesting.

 

I'd think the other employees his is listening to are the fellas from the marketing department that finally figured out that you can release a hop bomb in early February and cash in on Hopslam and NN craze..... Why sit it out when you can make money?

 

Sam Adams is always the worst when it comes to that. I think the Oktoberfest comes out in May this year.

 

I've never seen any of these in my local stores. Or maybe I have and just ignored them because they were SA. Next time I'm out beer shopping I'm going to check and see if any of these are in stock at Kroger or Meijer

 

I guess people don't have a right to change their minds, after all what he said was carved in stone right.

I'm not a huge SA fan but the blind hate is pretty funny around here, flame on.

I will try this SA offering when released.

 

I'm rooting for this to be good. I have to drive/go out my way to hunt for good DIPAs. Even the small guys get a ton of SA.

 

Most beer styles are uniform...thats how you create classifactions.